f his predecessors. The Pope, after the death of the empress
Theodora, on the 28th June, 548, had continued by the emperor's wish at
Constantinople, especially since Totila had retaken Rome in 549. He had
gone to Thessalonica and returned; he tried in several letters to the
bishops of Scythia and Gaul to correct their misconceptions. These,
however, prevailed with the bishops of Illyria, Dalmatia, and Africa, who
in 549 and 550 separated themselves from the communion of Vigilius. A thing
not heard of before now occurred. The Roman Bishop stood with the Greek
bishops on one side, the Latin bishops on the other, and the bewilderment
increased from day to day.

In the summer of 550 the Pope and the emperor came to an agreement that a
General Council should be held at which the western bishops should be
present, until which all dispute about the Three Chapters, and any fresh
step on the subject, should be forbidden, and in the meantime the Pope's
_Judgment_ should be returned to him. That took place at once, and
preparations were made for the council. In June a council held at
Mopsuestia by direction of the emperor declared that from the time of human
memory the name of its former bishop, Theodore, had been erased from
commemoration, and the name of St. Cyril put in. But the western bishops
avoided answering the invitation to the council. The Illyrian did not come
at all; the African sent as deputies Reparatus, the primate of Carthage,
Firmus of Numidia, and two Byzacene bishops. These were besieged both with
threats and presents; two were induced to sign the imperial edict; the
other two were banished, Reparatus under charge of a political crime. While
the western bishops showed still less inclination to appear, the court
broke its agreement with Vigilius. A new writing against the Three Chapters
was read in the palace before several bishops, and subscribed by them.
Theodore Askidas, the chief contriver, and his companions, excused
themselves to the Pope, who called them to account, and begged pardon, but
spread the writing still more, set the emperor against Vigilius, and
induced him to publish, in 551, a further edict under the name of a
confession of faith. It contained, together with a detailed exposition of
doctrine upon the Trinity and Incarnation, thirteen anathemas, with the
refutation of different objections made by the defenders of the Three
Chapters; for instance, that the letter of Ibas had been approved at
Chal